It's no secret that airline prices are only getting higher—but a recent drop in oil places is leading some to call on airlines to lower their prices. But even moreso than cheaper oil, there's another issue that might cause the big guns to drop prices: competition from newer airlines. And as new players on some key international routes begin showing up at major U.S. gateways, there's a good chance that drop may happen. Here's a rundown on some of the new faces you'll be seeing at hubs:

AZUL:

The Brazilian upstart carrier has been in business for six years and just this month started its first long-distance international flights from São Paulo to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando; fares start at $888 round trip, versus the going rate of around $1,200 on other airlines. Now the third largest airline in Brazil, Azul—Portuguese for "blue"—is the brainchild of David Neeleman, best known as the founder of JetBlue, and he’s brought many of that carrier’s signature touches to his Brazilian domestic network, with 145 planes serving 105 destinations. In addition to the Florida destinations, Azul is rumored to be considering expanding to New York, Chicago and other North American cities. The long haul operations are via Airbus A 330s and Neeleman ultimately plans to acquire the newest A350s—Airbus’ answer to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner—which should keep costs low.

NORWEGIAN AIR:

This Oslo-based discounter recently started flying nonstop from New York and LA to London’s Gatwick Airport at fares significantly lower than the competition: starting at under $500 roundtrip compared with more than $1,000 for peak season tickets on major lines. The airline says it can offer these cut-rate fares because it’s using fuel-efficient Dreamliners; more to the point, it follows the Ryanair/Spirit model of charging for everything from checked bags to food. Norwegian has big plans to expand, and CEO Bjorn Kjos recently touted the prospect of fares as low as $300 roundtrip over the Atlantic if he’s allowed to add services out of a subsidiary based in Ireland. Kos says the Irish spin-off will be better positioned to take advantage of flexible rules under the “Open Skies” treaty between the U.S. and Europe. But U.S. airlines and labor unions have cried foul, and are asking the U.S. Department of Transportation to block the upstart, claiming its labor practices are unfair and would cost American jobs—charges Kjos has dismissed as “purely political.”

WOW AIR:

Would you fly over the ocean in a narrow-body plane for five and a half hours—for $99? That’s what Icelandic budget carrier Wow Air is dangling to lure Europe-bound travelers on its new flights from Boston and Baltimore to Reykjavik early next year. Of course, that’s the typical introductory come-on; fares will rise to around $170 each way by the start of the 2015 summer season, but that’s still significantly less than the normal fares of around $600 to $700 round trip on the route. Flights will be aboard Airbus A320s, a single-aisle jet not typically found on transatlantic flights—but the flying time to Iceland isn’t much different from what it takes to fly across the U.S. From Iceland, Wow also offers a regular schedule of discount flights to London, Paris, and other continental destinations.